The Royal Contract

Serena had plans to assist her assistant in her transformation, but that would have to wait for another time. First, she had to prepare herself for her coming guests.

Adam promised to join her for lunch and was bringing Ken with him. Therefore, she needed to prepare something special.

"Do you need help?" Claire asked as she struggled with the ingredients she needed for her dishes.

Well, she was an actress, not a gourmet chef. She might know a few things about the basics of cooking, but she guessed that was enough as she tried to understand the instructions for cooking Adam's favorite dish.

"I guess." Serena could not pretend to know what she was doing when she did not. "I can use a hand."

Claire moved closer to her, grabbing another knife and chopping board, before taking a few pieces of the vegetables she had been working on.

"At your rate, your guests will be eating by dinner." Her assistant teased her as she helped her cut the remaining vegetables faster and more evenly.

"Precisely..." She also acknowledged her lack of skills in cooking.

However, she intended to remedy that soon. She planned to learn more about taking care of a family.

"Maybe you can teach me," Serena suggested to her assistant. Who was best to mentor her but the person who already knew her? Right?

"Sure, I would love to help you. But I don't know that much." Her assistant admitted.

But she was okay with that. She only needed to learn a few things. Then, the rest she could figure it out by herself.

Besides, she would have Adam by her side. She was confident he would also teach her the rest of the things she needed to know.

"So, what do I do with this meat?" She asked her, knowing that she might burn it if she did not ask for assistance.

"First, we need to marinate it." Claire taught her what to do with the large chunk of meat she wanted to roast in the oven.

She and her assistant worked their butts in the kitchen, creating a three-course meal for the last two hours. It was exhausting as she finally sat her ass on the stool beside her.

She knew it would be relatively easier to order their meal from one of her favorite restaurants or to take Adam and Ken to eat outside.

However, that was not what she wanted. She wanted to surprise Adam by doing something special for him.

"You better hit the shower because you don't want Adam to see you all sweaty and smelling like onions and garlic." Her assistant told her.

"I will take care of this," Claire pointed at the mess she made in the kitchen.

She stretched her arms upward before moving her

face towards her armpit, smelling herself. "I don't stink like that." She complained after sniffing her body and clothes with her nose.

"But I will help you before I..." She did not want to leave her mess. But Claire pushed her out of the way.

"I will deal with this while you clean up and pretty up." Claire pointed at her messy bun and her clothes full of sauces and splattered oil.

"Okay. I am going." Serena threw her hands in the air in surrender, letting her assistant call the shot this once.

She went straight to her private room and the shower, preparing for Adam's arrival. She agreed with Claire. She wanted to look her best for him. It was not just for vanity's sake. But she wanted him to see that she had changed.

Finally, she knew who she was. She had lived her life living in the shadows of her characters. But now, she could identify Serena, and she loved her.

And that was the Serena she wanted Adam to fall madly in love with. Hopefully, they had a lifetime to build their relationship with love, trust, and faith in each other.

"You never look so happy." She told herself as she stared at her naked face, void of the powder and colorants she put on her face to make herself more beautiful.

She guessed she did not need those to feel complete. She only required Adam. And hopefully, Ken would complete her life.

After picking a simple dress and putting just a tinge of powder on her face, she knew she was ready.

"Wow! You look great. But you always look great even in tattered clothes." Claire said as she placed the final touches on the dining table.

"Wait!" Serena said, noticing that something else was missing.

She quickly moved to the kitchen, grabbing the gummy bears she had placed in a candy jar earlier. Then, she dropped them on the nearby table, where Ken would notice them.

"Now, that is perfect." She said after looking at the room. She could not wait for Adam and Ken to arrive.

"I guess my services are not needed anymore." Claire declared as she picked up her bag. "Call me if you need anything else."

She looked at her assistant again, seeing a beautiful, incredible woman who was afraid to show her true self.

"I will. Or you can stay and join us for lunch. After all, you already helped me prepare it." Serena offered.

She thought it would be great to have the people she cared about joining her on this day. Somehow, she would admit that Claire had become a friend, not just someone who worked for her.

"I don't think that is a good idea." Claire declined her offer, but Serena grabbed her bag and returned it to the counter.

"I insist." She said as she added another plate on the small table.

She could not wait to build a house where she could settle with Adam as a married couple.

Although she already had a beautiful house somewhere miles away, she had never considered it a home. It was more like an investment, a property she owned, nothing more.

Finally, the bell rang, signaling the arrival of her guests. Quickly, with flying feet, she moved to the door to answer it.

"Adam!" She enthusiastically greeted her fiancee as if they had not spent the entire night together. She automatically threw her body into his arms, which he accepted with open arms.

She felt like a young teenager, throwing herself at her teenage crush. But who cared? She would never be embarrassed to show him how much she loved him.

"Ken!" But she quickly pried her body away from him when she noticed the young boy standing behind her fiancee. "I am glad that you came."

She opened the door wider, letting the two inside.

"Adam is right. I should not pass up on a free meal." Ken said, which only confused her.

She could not tell if that was a joke between the two as they looked at each other.

"That is right." She decided to play along, knowing boys could sometimes be more playful than girls.

"Anyway, I want you to meet Claire, my friend." She introduced her assistant to the young boy. "She will also be joining us for lunch."

She told the two, who followed her toward her mini kitchen. She guessed it was about time she got herself a bigger apartment. Living in a hotel room was not practical anymore.

"Hi. I am Ken, Serena's friend." The boy introduced himself to the young lady while Claire accepted his offered hand.

"We prepared a light meal for us to share. Please take a seat." She offered.

After a few more minutes, they all settled down and enjoyed a simple meal of roast beef and some veggie appetizers.

However, she did not dare to prepare a dessert, so she bought a pre-made cake from one of her favorite bakeries. It was a chocolate-flavored sweet confectionary that she hoped Ken would like.

"I think the food was superb." Adam praised her cooking as he took his last bite.

"You have Claire to thank for it. She did most of the cooking. I only helped." She confessed, knowing she could not take the credit.

"You did more than help, Ms. Serena," Claire said, negating her statement.

"What do you think of our cooking?" She shifted her attention to her other guest, who seemed quiet since he arrived.

"Honestly, it is delicious." He said with his limited words. Then, he was chewing his meat again, appearing he was enjoying the food.

She could only guess that the food before him would still be better than what he used to eat on the street. Suddenly, her need to protect and adopt him intensified, hoping she could finally convince him to accept her offer.

"I am happy to hear that." She tapped the boy on the shoulder before returning to the adult conversation.

"Adam mentioned that you will be building a house where you will both live once you get married." The boy suddenly uttered, slightly surprising her.

"Yes, that is our plan." She answered, wondering what the kid had in mind.

"Well..." Ken was about to say something but paused for a few seconds. "He also said you want me to live with you." He hesitantly stated, which made her nod her head in agreement.

She did not want to say anything, not wanting him to stop whatever was on his mind.

"Are you sure you want me in your lives?" The young boy lowered his head as he let go of his utensils and looked down at his lap.

She could see the fear of rejection, the pain of constantly being disappointed in his eyes. And she knew how hard it was for him to ask these questions.

And at that moment, all she wanted to do was put her arms around him and assure him that was all she wanted.

"I never had a doubt."